Ranieri’s Roma revival continues with narrow Como win

Roma continued their revival under Claudio Ranieri on Sunday with a 2-1 win over 10-man Como which kept the capital club in touch with Serie A’s European places.

Goals in the second half from substitutes Alexis Saelemaekers and Artem Dovbyk turned an entertaining match in Roma’s favour and put them in eighth place.

Roma are four points behind Bologna who sit sixth — in the division’s Conference League spot — after beating Cagliari 2-1 earlier on Sunday.

An eighth win in 11 league matches put Ranieri’s team one place and two points above troubled AC Milan ahead of the seven-time European champions’ match with Lazio at the San Siro.

Roma looked in danger of relegation when Ranieri took charge in November but they haven’t lost in Serie A since falling at Como in mid-December and their form has been such that the 73-year-old was named the division’s manager of the month for February.

Como, who took the lead just before half-time at the Stadio Olimpico through Lucas Da Cunha, will feel hard done by after performing well all evening, even after Marc Kempf was sent off for two bookable offences in the 63rd minute.

Cesc Fabregas’ side somehow managed to not level two minutes before the end when Mergim Vojvoda hit the post and Patrick Cutrone shot straight at Mile Svilar on the rebound.

However ambitious Como have been excellent since the turn of the year and should stay up as they sit six points above the relegation zone in 13th place.